The Lost Sister
by Harlie93
Summary: Kassandra was the oldest child of James and Lily. Death Eaters tore her life apart on October 31st and years later she discovers that not everything was as it seemed on that horrible night.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling.**

CHAPTER ONE

Kassandra

James was in shock. Everything had happened so quickly. Lily wasn't due for another month, but it was due to complications that he found himself sitting outside hospital wing, while Lily was unconscious inside and Madame Pomphrey had rushed his child away directly after giving birth. He was seventeen; nothing was supposed to happen like this. It was hard enough convincing his parents that he could raise a child at such a young age, but now he might lose that child.

"James? What happened son?"

He felt a large hand clasp his shoulder and turned to the worried face of his father. He hadn't even heard anyone coming down the hall. He shook his head, unable to form words and turned back to staring at the doors to the Hospital Wing.

"James?" His father said again as he sat next to him.

"Madame Pomphrey kicked me out," he said hoarsely.

He felt a strong arm wrap around his shoulders and he gratefully leaned into his father's side, not caring that he was acting younger than his age. The two of them heard more footsteps rushing towards them and they turned to find Rose and Gerald running down the hall, fear evident in both their eyes. Professor Dumbledore was following closely behind them.

"What happened?" Rose asked, slightly hysterical.

James looked at Lily's parents dejectedly and shook his head. "It all happened so fast," he all but whispered.

"We were in the common room, just messing around. Lily hadn't been feeling well all day, but she said it was just a stomach bug. But she kept getting worse…." He trailed off, not sure what to say.

"It appears that Lily had gone into premature labor, although she wasn't aware of it. Poppy said she was unconscious when she arrived at the hospital wing and she had to perform a Cesarean section," inputted Dumbledore, his voice gentle.

"Will they be okay?" Gerald asked pleadingly, turning to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled kindly, "I will go and check in with Madame Pomphrey and see how they are both doing," he said.

After Dumbledore went into the Hospital Wing, James dropped his head into his hands while his father rubbed his back soothingly. He heard his father and Mr. Evans start talking, but couldn't focus much on what either of them was saying as his own thoughts plagued his mind.

Nothing was supposed to happen like this. James' mother had died the year previously, shortly after the New Year, because of Dragon Pox. He had grown a lot that year already but losing his mother had made him grow even more. Along with his three best friends, Lily had also comforted him and they continued to grow close. It was a couple of months after that incident that they began to date. Their relationship grew quickly; well that's what Lily would say anyways. James thought it was too slow, then again he had been chasing after her for six years. It was summertime when they did 'It' for the first time and it was only two months after that, that they returned to school and Lily announced she was pregnant.

James choked out a laugh and shook his head, which was still buried in his hands. He had been so excited when she said it. It seemed ridiculous that his first reaction to the news that he would be a father was excitement, not fear. Then again, he had never claimed to be normal. When the news finally sunk in he still wasn't scared about having a kid, he was more worried about his father's reaction. Now here he was, sitting outside the hospital wing, praying that his child would survive.

After what felt like hours, although in reality, he supposed it might have only been a few minutes, the doors to the Hospital Wing opened again and Madame Pomphrey came out, a small smile on her face.

James jumped to his feet, looking at her pleadingly.

"Lily and the baby are fine," she said with a gentle smile "Why don't you come in and see them," She said glancing at the three people standing behind them.

James glanced quickly at his dad, before walking through the doors and quickly making his way to Lily's side. She was in a back room of sorts, one that was just outside of the main wing, it was a room to provide more privacy for patients when necessary. Remus would usually stay there after his monthly transformation.

Thinking of Remus, James turned to the headmaster after grabbing Lily's limp hand.

"Where's Sirius? And Remus?" he asked. They had followed him to the Hospital Wing originally, but Madame Pomphrey had sent them back to the dorms.

"I will give you and your family some time alone, Messer's Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew will be along shortly," said Dumbledore kindly. James simply nodded in response, looking back towards Lily's pale face.

The four of them stood around Lily's bed and James took comfort in the strong pulse he felt in his hand. She was obviously just sleeping now and he was grateful.

"James?"

Hearing a light gasp James turned towards Madame Pomphrey who was holding a small bundle in her arms. Wide-eyed, he glanced back at Lily before letting go of her hands and reaching out to tack his child out of Madame Pomphrey's hands.

"James, I'd like you to meet your daughter," she said kindly, handing the baby to him.

"Daughter?" he asked, looking at his baby in awe. He and Lily had decided to be surprised with the gender.

James smiled brightly, his daughter in his arms. He couldn't believe how tiny she was. She didn't have very much hair yet, but the little that she did have was red, and although he couldn't see her eyes because she was sleeping soundly, he had a feeling she would look just like her mother.

"Do you have a name?" Rose asked from the other side of the bed, where she was holding Lily's other hand.

James smiled "We decided on Kassandra Grace Potter if it was a girl," he said, not taking his eyes off his little girl. "We chose Kassandra because it's my mum's middle name and because Cassie is a flower. This way it honor's both our families."

"It's a beautiful name," said Rose, staring at the bundle in James' arms.

"Your mother would love it. She would have loved to be here," Said Fleamont.

James just smiled sadly; his mother really would have loved to be here. She had always wanted grandchildren. She used to say that it was because she would be able to spoil a grandchild in a way that she could never spoil her own child (although James was fairly spoiled).

James' eyes snapped up from his little girl when he heard a groan coming from the bed. Lily was stirring, slowly opening her eyes, a small grimace of pain forming on her face.

"Lily, darling are you okay?" asked Rose, gripping her hand a little tighter.

Lily opened her eyes but looked a little dazed. Her memories seemed to catch up to her because her eyes widened in shock and her hand rushed to her stomach. She looked frantic and was attempting to sit up, but in too much pain to actually do so.

"Where's my baby?" she gasped out, her hand still on her stomach. She looked wildly to her mother, who was trying to calm her down.

"Lily love, she's right here," said James softly, sitting beside his girlfriend on the bed.

Lily looked at him when she felt the bed dip and her eyes grew even wider when she saw the bundle in his arms.

"She?" she asked breathily.

James nodded, a wide smile spread across his face. "Kassandra Grace," he said, holding out the bundle for Lily to take.

"She's okay," Lily whispered, a few stray tears falling down her face. She reached out and took Kassandra into her arms and held her close.

* * *

It was only thirty minutes later when Rose, Gerald, and Fleamont went to the kitchens to find food and the Hospital Wing's doors opened with a snap to reveal James and Lily's closest friends.

Sirius and Remus were the first in the room, followed closely by Peter and Natalie. Sirius strode over to James and clasped him on the shoulder. The worry in his eyes grew to a look of shock as he stared at the baby that was laying between James and Lily. Remus went directly to Lily's other side, he was in a similar state of shock as Sirius but got over it quickly.

"We were really worried," he said, kissing her on the forehead. Ever since their first year at Hogwarts, the two of them had always had a relationship like siblings, rather than friends. After Remus' mother died, he and his father didn't have much of a relationship, but Lily's parents were happy to take over where they could.

"Do you want to hold her?" She asked, holding out the small pink bundle.

Remus nodded and took Kassie out of her arms. His eyes widened when he held the little girl, awe taking over his face. "She's so small," he said breathlessly.

Sirius made his way to Remus' side and looked at the baby over his shoulder. He was also looking at the baby with awe.

A small cough brought both of their attention to James and Lily, both of whom were smiling brightly.

"We uh… Sirius, we were hoping you'd be her godfather," said James.

Sirius's jaw dropped open in shock. "Me?' he asked.

James nodded, but Sirius couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

"Me?" he asked again.

"Yes Sirius," said Lily, slightly exasperated. "We want you to be her godfather."

"But… But Remus would be much better," he said, pointing to Remus who was holding Kassie with eased comfort.

James smiled "Normally we would have chosen both of you since you're both brothers in all but blood, but the ministry would never let Remus adopt a kid," he said, giving Remus a sad smile.

"Now, if Natalie and Remus got married, then they could totally take her in," Mentioned Lily, lacking subtlety.

Both Natalie and Remus blushed, they had only been dating for a month and neither of them had marriage on their minds.

Remus turned and handed Sirius his goddaughter. As soon as Sirius had her in his arms, his face lit up into a wide smile. "I promise, I'll take care of her if anything happens to you," he said.

Sirius was reluctant to let go of his new goddaughter, but the pleading from Natalie, he relinquished her into Nat's arms. "Just don't drop her," he said softly.

James and Lily looked at him amusedly, while Natalie glared at him. After Natalie had her fill of the baby, she handed her to a reluctant and fearful Peter. As soon as Kassie was in his arms, she began to cry.

Peter's eyes widened and he looked at James helplessly. "I don't want her, please take her," he said in a squeaky voice.

James just grimaced and took his crying daughter into his arms, she calmed almost instantly when she was away from Peter.

"Sorry mate," said James with a shrug.

"Not everyone can be good with kids, right mate?" said Sirius, slapping Peter on the shoulder jokingly.

"I suppose not," Peter mumbled bitterly so nobody was able to hear him.

The professors had been kind enough to give James, Lily, their family, and friends the first day with Kassandra alone, but by the second day, they couldn't refrain from visiting the hospital wing to meet the newest addition to Hogwarts.

Professors were in and out of the room all day, some of the professors came in together, while other professors like Professor McGonagall, came in alone. They all gave their congratulations and well wishes, briefly, before retreating and letting the small family have their time together.

Their strangest visit, however, came in the afternoon, when Professor Dumbledore decided to pop in. like the other professors, he came in, asked the new parents how they were doing and then asked to hold their daughter.

James had trouble holding back a snicker at the sight of the headmaster holding a small baby, making faces at her. He glanced at his girlfriend and noticed that she too seemed to be having trouble.

After a few minutes of cooing at the baby, Dumbledore's demeanor of smiling and laughing changed to surprise.

"Goodness," he said, staring at Kassie with a mixture of wonder and curiosity.

"What is it Professor?" Lily asked politely, but James noticed the worry in her voice.

Apparently, Dumbledore had as well. He smiled kindly at her "it's nothing to worry about dear Lily… You have a very powerful little girl here," he said.

James and Lily looked at him confused.

"Professor, she's not even a full day old, how can you tell?" asked James.

Dumbledore smiled at him, his eyes twinkling madly. "You can see it in her eyes, James." He handed Kassie back to Lily "Good luck on this journey that even I have not been on," he said kindly.

James wasn't sure if he simply meant parenthood or something beyond that. Dumbledore wasn't a seer, but he did seem to know everything about everything.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," said Lily kindly.

James wanted to ask more questions but knew that there wasn't a point. If Dumbledore felt that you needed to know something, he would tell you. Often it seemed that he let you find out on your own, something about building character.

With one last glance at Kassie, Dumbledore left the room, leaving behind two curious parents.

* * *

 _Godric's Hollow Five Years Later…_

"Happy birthday munchkin!"

Kassie blearily opened her eyes and looked at the person who woke her up. "Uncle Paddy." she shouted flinging herself off her bad, flying a few feet before landing in his arms.

"How's my favorite goddaughter?"

"I'm your only goddaughter silly," she giggled, "daddy say's that nobody else in their right mind would make you godfather."

He gave her a hurt look "what? You don't think I'm a great godfather?" he asked with puppy dog eyes.

Kassie just giggled and kissed him on the cheek squirming a little bit trying to get down. He put her on the ground and she ran out of the room towards the kitchen with Sirius following closely behind.

Before she made it to the kitchen she was picked up and thrown into the air and caught by her laughing father. "Happy birthday princess. You look old, you must be what four now?" said James seriously.

Kassie laughed, "nooooo… I'm five," she said while holding up five fingers.

"No, no I'm pretty sure that you're four."

Just then Lily had come into the room and kissed her daughter on the forehead before slapping her husband playfully on the shoulder. "If you are done being in denial of your daughter's age, breakfast is ready."

The four of them sat down for breakfast while Sirius joked with Kassie and Lily and James talked about the plans for the day.

The last five years had been difficult. Both James and Lily found it strange that only five years ago their biggest concern was having a child while still in school. Now they were in the midst of war trying to keep each other and their family safe.

They had faced many struggles, mostly caused by the war. Death Eaters killed Lily's parents when Kassie was only two and James' father died less than a year ago. After Fleamont passed, James quit his job as an Auror and both he and Lily dedicated their time towards the Order of the Phoenix. Because Lily was currently five months pregnant, she never did any active work.

Another struggle that they faced was Kassandra. They loved their daughter more than anything, but she had proven to be a rather difficult child. It wasn't that she was disobedient, she usually does what was asked of her without complaint and she was a relatively happy child. She was a mischievous little minx, but Lily would blame Sirius and James for that. No, the problem that they had with her was her powers.

She was a very gifted little witch, just as Dumbledore had predicted, and as she grew older they knew she would be powerful. Dumbledore, who had spent a lot of time working with Kassie, said that she could even be more powerful than Merlin was. Lily and James were happy about her power, it meant that she'd be able to take care of herself, but whenever she was emotional, she couldn't control it. There was a constant flow of accidental magic, things would explode when she was angry or excited. If someone made her angry and she pushed them, they would go flying across the room. It got to the point where they could no longer take her to muggle playgrounds or for the most part anywhere with muggles. But, that was something that they were learning to deal with.

Everything else was going well for the Potter family and friends. Remus and Natalie were getting married that summer and Lily was due in July with her second child, all three of the Potters, and Sirius and Remus, were ecstatic about the new addition to their little family. Sirius was still an Auror and had yet to meet someone to settle down with. When anyone asked him about it he would say he's dedicated to his goddaughter and soon to be godson. So despite the fact that they were at war, life was good.

It was early afternoon when the doorbell rang and Kassie, who had been playing with Padfoot, jumped up and ran to the door with the dog bouncing behind her. Sirius transformed just before she reached the door and hopped in front of her.

"Munchkin, are you supposed to answer the door?"

Kassie smiled guiltily "no."

Sirius just smiled at her and turned and opened the door. The entire Weasley family had come to celebrate her birthday. Kassie led them all to the backyard where her dad was setting up the BBQ (with Lily patiently giving him instructions). A few minutes later Remus and Natalie arrived, closely followed by Peter.

"Uncle Moony! Guess what?" Kassie asked bounding towards Remus as soon as he stepped into the backyard.

"What?" he asked with a large smile, holding Kassie in his arms.

"I was talking to Harry the other day and I was touching mummy's belly and I felt him move! Mummy said he kicked me, but I don't think Harry would kick me, I'm sure he likes me." She said with a bright smile, her arms wrapped tightly around Remus' neck.

Remus chuckled "that's just what it's called when the baby moves, I'm sure Harry likes you a lot and can't wait to come out and meet you," he said, rubbing his free hand through her auburn hair.

Kassie sighed cutely, giving the best puppy eyes without even meaning to. "I suppose so, I wish he'd hurry up though," she said.

Remus kissed her forehead "only four more months, he'll be here before you know it," he said before putting her back on the ground. "Why don't you go say 'hi' to Pete," he suggested, glancing at the short, round man standing by the food, looking like he didn't belong there.

Kassie wrinkled her nose, "do I have to?" she asked.

Remus sighed and nodded "He came all the way here just for your birthday, it's polite to say thank you."

She nodded grimly, wrinkling her nose again. She had never really taken to Peter in the same way she had her other uncles and Natalie. No one was entirely sure why, but she was polite enough around him.

She gave Remus one last hug before running off in the direction that Peter was.

Other than a few other order members, the people at this party were the people that James and Lily trusted with their lives (and their kids' lives). They didn't get to see each other often, but for occasions like birthdays and some holidays, they would find a way to celebrate together.

"I think your daughter is excited to be a big sister," said Molly when she reached James and Lily. They all looked over to where Kassie was cooing at baby Ron.

Lily smiled "yeah she's been talking to her brother quite a bit and keeps asking me when he's going to come out."

"Bill was the same way when I was pregnant with the twins."

The three adults watched as Kassie ran over to where seven-year-old Charlie and nine-year-old Bill were sitting and sat between them, looking up at Charlie with a flirty smile.

Lily couldn't help but laugh, "I think she has a crush on him."

James just frowned "what are you talking about? She's not allowed to like boys! She's only three!"

Lily raised an eyebrow "Are you still in denial about her age?"

James pouted and Molly and Lily laughed.

"Just wait James, in six years she'll be off at Hogwarts where you won't be able to keep guys from chasing after her," said Molly.

"Yeah, guys like you will be chasing her around, asking her out three times a day," said Lily with a smirk.

James pouted more "I've already decided she's not going to Hogwarts. We're locking her in a tower just like in those muggle stories you read her."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Halloween

 _October 31_ _st_ _1981 – Godric's Hollow_

James was sitting at the table with a drink in one hand and his other hand running through his hair. He was worried and restless, not that this was unusual. They had put the house under the Fidelius charm a couple of weeks ago and since then his little family of four had been confined to the house, which is why he was restless. People like him weren't meant to be stuck in one place. But he was also worried, there had been a prophecy made about either Harry or Neville which caused a mad man to be after them, hence the reason they had to go into hiding.

He wasn't the only one feeling like this; tension had been high between him and Lily. She handled it much better than he did, but she still longed to see her friends, Natalie and Remus especially. They hadn't seen Natalie or Remus since the charm was placed over the house. James and Lily trusted them, Remus was after all, practically a brother to Lily and Natalie was her best friend, but Sirius didn't and they did know that there was a spy in the Order and well… James wasn't willing to take the risk.

Kassie was also beginning to get very restless. She may have looked exactly like her mother did when she was six, but she was definitely her father in personality. She wanted to be outside and with kids her own age. As much as she loved her brother, he didn't really do very much. Now James and Lily had to deal with the little pranks that Kassie was setting up, trying to entertain herself.

 _Flashback_

James was staring at the couch. He had put his one-year-old son there. He distinctly remembered putting his son on the couch when he went to find his bottle. But now he was staring at the couch and his son was nowhere to be found.

"Harry? Where are you Prongslette? Come on don't do this to your old man," said James looking under all of the furniture.

"James what are you doing?" said Lily when she saw James' head under the table.

James stood up and looked at his wife with wide eyes, still holding the bottle in his hand. "I-it… I it's not my fault?"

"Where is Harry?" said Lily, her eyes flashing

"He was on the couch, I just left him to get the bottle, now he's not here."

Lily's look turned to one of concern "the wards weren't broken, he's got to be here somewhere."

"I've looked everywhere, he's not in here. Let's go check the bedrooms."

They checked their bedroom first and he wasn't there, then they checked Kassie's room and found that she was missing as well.

James frowned "Kassie? Where are you princess?"

Just then Kassie came out of the nursery and looked at her parents innocently.

"Where's your brother?" asked Lily warningly.

"I haven't seen him mummy," she said with puppy dog eyes.

James looked at her for a few moments before walking back to his room, looking at the bottom of the chest for something.

"Kass, where's my invisibility cloak?" he said, turning back to his daughter before walking past her and into the nursery.

She just smiled at him innocently "I haven't seen it daddy."

He was about to respond when he heard a small giggle come from the closet. He walked over to it and opened it, seeing nothing. He reached around carefully before feeling the silk-like fabric and pulling it off to reveal his son who was giggling, looking at Kassie.

Kassie just pouted, "Harry, you gave it away!"

 _End Flashback_

Kassie really was a little minx and James knew he could only blame himself for it. He found himself feeling bad for his parents and all the trouble he caused them. Sure he usually thought Kassie's little pranks were funny, but sometimes they could be scary, like the time when Harry disappeared. He already knew that Harry was going to be the same way, especially if Kassie was going to be his role model.

Kassie absolutely adored her little brother. It was nice to see and James hoped that they would always stay close. She really was a great older sibling, she would help her mum take care of him and she would read to him and play with him. Harry had a huge effect on her. When Kassie was having an episode where her magic was running haywire, Harry could always get her to calm down enough to control it.

Now James was sitting there wondering what he was going to do tonight. He hadn't left the house in two weeks, but tonight there was an emergency meeting that Sirius, Lily and James had to attend. Of course the meeting only included the three of them and Dumbledore, but he had to find someone to watch his kids, which was problematic since there was only one other person who knew where the house was, Peter.

He was fine with Peter being there, he wasn't great with kids, but he cared about the two of them. Of course he would prefer Natalie and Remus being there, but that wasn't really an option. The only problem with Peter was that Kassandra didn't like him. She would tolerate him well enough when there were other people there, but she had always refused to let him watch them. Occasionally when he would hold her or talk to her, her eyes would flash red. He didn't know why she didn't like him, he would ask her, but she never could answer. Tonight however, he really didn't have a choice, so he called Peter who was due to floo over in five minutes.

James made his way out into the living room when he heard the Floo activate. "Hey mate. Thanks for coming on such short notice," said James when Peter stumbled in.

"It's fine," he said looking a little nervous.

Before James could comment on his nervousness Lily came in holding Harry with Kassie trailing behind her. When Kassie saw Peter her eyes flashed red and she frowned.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"Kassie, be nice," Scolded Lily. "Daddy and I have to go out tonight and Uncle Pete was nice enough to come and watch you and Harry."

Kassie looked at her dad with wide eyes that were filled with worry. "You're leaving? You can't leave us here with him! Please don't go," she pleaded.

James felt his heart drop when he looked at his daughter's worried eyes. Even Harry could tell something was wrong since he was frowning at Peter. Despite the small amount of dread, he felt, they were already running late and Dumbledore said it was an emergency, so he walked over to his kids to say goodbye.

"Kassie, I know you don't want us to go, but we have to," he said picking her up. "We'll only be gone for a few hours."

He held her close and kissed her on the forehead. The floo lit up again and Sirius stumbled through the fire. Kassie jumped out of her dad's arms and ran to Sirius with tears in her eyes.

"Uncle Paddy will you please watch us?" She asked, with a small sob.

Sirius just looked at James and Lily who both looked hesitant at leaving their kids. Harry began to cry when he saw that Kassie was crying, so Lily was rocking him.

"I'm sorry munchkin, but I have to go to the meeting with your mum and dad. But we won't be gone for long, then I can come back and see you," said Sirius wiping the tears from her face.

"Kassie we really have to go now, be good to Uncle Peter," said James. "Sorry Pete, I really don't know what's gotten into them, but once we're gone they'll be good."

James walked over and gave Harry a tight hug, kissing him on the forehead. Harry just looked at him pouting slightly "dada stay."

James shook his head "sorry prongslette, I'll be back I promise." He then turned back to Kassie and gave her another hug, even though she was glaring at him. "Come on Kass, don't be like that. I love you and I'll be back soon okay?"

Her face fell a little when she saw her dad's sad eyes "I love you too," she said in a small voice.

Both of the kids said goodbye to Lily and Sirius, who both hugged them tightly and the three of them left through the front door, ignoring the dread squirming in the stomachs.

When the door closed behind the adults, Peter turned to the two kids. "So, should we go get something to eat," he said with a smile.

Kassandra just glared at him before picking up her brother and walking into the kitchen. Peter followed them in and put some macaroni and cheese on the stove to cook.

When they were done eating, Kassie took Harry into the bathroom to get him cleaned up and dressed for bed. When they walked back into the living room, they saw Peter sitting on the couch looking nervous; his eyes kept flickering to the window as if he were expecting something.

"I'm going to put Harry to bed," Kassie told Peter who simply nodded.

She grabbed Harry's hand and walked him into his nursery. She had tears in her eyes; she couldn't help shake the feeling that something was really wrong. She had considered just grabbing Harry and leaving the house, but she didn't know where they would go. She just really wanted her parents here.

She sat with Harry whose lip was quivering. "Kassie sad," he said looking at his sister.

She smiled "I'm okay Harry and I'll make sure you're okay too."

It was then that they heard a crash and a cold voice talking to Peter. "Where is he?" it said. They didn't hear Peter respond, so Kassie could only assume he pointed. She picked up Harry and put him in a cupboard, throwing the invisibility cloak over him.

With tears in her eyes she said "Harry we're going to play a game okay? You need to be quiet and stay in here no matter what you hear okay? Don't come out until you hear mum or dad."

She then closed the door to the cupboard and turned to run out of the room but found her path blocked by a tall figure in a black cloak.

"Where is the boy?" the cold voice said.

Kassie had tears streaming down her face, but she stood her ground. "He's not here, I already got him out."

"Where is he?" he demanded pointing his wand at her face.

"You can't have him!" She shouted, her eyes flashing red and the glass in the room breaking.

He backed her up so she was standing right in front of the cupboard. He saw her eyes glance towards the cupboard and then back at him.

"Move aside you stupid girl and I will spare your life."

"No! You can't have Harry."

"I said step aside."

"Not Harry, please not Harry," she begged through her tears.

"You stupid child, I had use for you, but I suppose I'll just get rid of you too."

Kassie saw a flash of green light, before the world around her went black.

* * *

James and Lily were frustrated. They made their way up through the gate and across the grounds of Hogwarts. This was the last thing they wanted to be doing when they were in the midst of war and they were fearing for the lives of those they loved most. Despite the frustration of needing to leave their children, they were hopeful of what the meeting with Dumbledore would bring. They were hopeful that maybe this time he would have some good news.

When they reached Dumbledore's office, James knocked hard, hoping to get the meeting over with as quickly as possible.

"come in," Dumbledore said from behind the door.

James opened the door and entered the office, closely being followed by Lily and Sirius. James hesitated momentarily at the quick look of surprise on Dumbledore's face at the sight of all three of them. The look faded quickly and Dumbledore beckoned them to the chairs in front of his desk. He walked behind his desk and sat down.

"I must say, I am pleased to see the three of you as I get to see you so little as of recently, although I am surprised you came," he said, looking at them intently.

Now it was James' turn to look confused. "You asked us to come Albus," he said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

Dumbledore's look of interest turned quickly to a look of concern.

"I'm afraid I am unaware of calling a meeting," he said quietly.

James felt a lump in his throat and dread in his stomach. Dumbledore hadn't called the meeting, but someone did. The question was 'why' they called the meeting.

Lily who had been thinking the same thing as James jumped to her feet, pushing her chair back causing it to clatter onto the floor. She then bolted towards the door. James heard her whisper "Harry" before he hopped to his feet as well and followed his wife as she sprinted down the steps, through the corridor and out onto the grounds, towards the apparation point. Fear racked his body at the thought that someone wanted him, his wife, and his best friend out of the house and away from their kids. He saw his wife disappear with a pop and he followed closely behind.

He apparated a block from his house and began sprinting. He heard a pop behind him and spared a glance to find that his best friend was following as well, a similar look of pain and fear etched on his face. They all stopped in their tracks when they saw that the Fidelius charm was broken and the house was visible. The house looked like it had been blown up and the dark mark was hovering above the house.

James just stared at the ruined house with his mouth agape and his hands in his hair as though he was going to pull it out. He had tears welling in his eyes. He was frozen; he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His two little children were in there and Death Eaters had been there. He was instantly filled with dread and regret. All he could see was his daughter's tear-stained face when he left the house. He could hear his baby telling him to stay.

"No," Lily said quietly with tears streaming down her face. She also couldn't get her limbs to move, but she had dread in her stomach. She didn't want to go inside; she didn't want to see what happened to her children.

Sirius was the first to get a grip on the situation. He began sprinting towards the door. Sirius running towards the house seemed to snap James out of the trance he was in and he began running after Sirius with Lily following closely behind him.

James entered the house and immediately began running from room to room calling out for both of his children and checking under the furniture to see if they were there. Lily and Sirius were doing the same in the other rooms. They had checked nearly every room and had seen no sign of their children. The last room to check was the nursery, which was the one that looked the most destroyed. The three of them stood outside the door; afraid of what they would see when they went in there.

James opened the door and saw that the room looked like it had been blown up, but he didn't see either of his children. One of the walls was blown away and there was a black cloak and a wand on the ground, which looked like they must have belonged to a Death Eater.

The three adults were panicking. Their kids could be anywhere; they could have been taken or they could be dead. They heard someone else enter the house and call out for them.

"We're up here!" shouted Sirius.

James walked into the room cautiously, "Kassie? Harry?" he said with tears streaming down his face. He looked in the crib and the closet when he heard a little sob. Dumbledore had just entered the room and all four occupants paused their looking.

"Harry? Is that you? Come on bud, where are you?" said James.

"Dada," said a little voice coming from the cupboard.

James rushed to the cupboard and opened it to see his son sitting on the bottom of it with a gash on his forehead and the invisibility cloak lying around him.

Harry had tears streaming down his face when James grabbed him and held him close. "Kassie… Kassie… Kassie…" He repeated over and over again looking around the room hoping to see her.

James walked over to the others and handed Harry to Lily who immediately held him close and cried into his hair. James was looking at Dumbledore with a lost expression.

Dumbledore turned to Lily, "Lily, I might be able to see what happened if I can look into his mind. Is that alright?"

Lily nodded turning Harry to look at the headmaster. Dumbledore locked eyes with Harry and it was several minutes before he looked away. When Dumbledore exited Harry's mind and looked at James, the ever-present twinkle was completely absent from his eyes. He looked like he had aged nearly fifty years and looked at James and Lily with sorrow.

"I'm so sorry," he said grabbing James' shoulder. "Harry saw it, she's gone."

James let out a strangled sob as his legs collapsed beneath him. Lily had backed into the wall and sunk to the ground, still holding Harry tight as she cried into his hair.

Sirius looked at James and Lily before anger flashed through his eyes and he growled "Peter! He was the spy. I'm going to kill him. The bloody coward." He started walking out of the room when Dumbledore grabbed him.

"James and Lily need you Sirius. If you go after Peter you will get yourself thrown into Azkaban. We will find him and make sure he is locked up, but right now your best friend needs you."

Sirius looked back at James, his eyes softening. He walked back to James and sat beside him putting his arm around him as he let his own tears fall.

The four of them cried. Three of them cried for the little girl who they loved. The little girl who was always breaking rules and making people laugh. Dumbledore cried for the powerful little girl who gave her life for her brother.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

CHAPTER THREE

Nine Years Later

 _October 31_ _st_ _, 1990 – Florence, Oregon, U.S.A._

All she could hear was the music blasting in her ears. She knew if her uncle were around he would be chewing her out, claiming that she would be deaf before the month was over. Of course, she reasoned, if he really thought that, he definitely wouldn't have bought her this portable cassette player for her birthday last year.

Her breathing and legs were beginning to feel heavy. Of course she had been running for the better part of an hour. She was good at long distance, but not on so few hours of sleep. She finally rounded the corner onto her block and picked up the pace. Sprinting past her neighbors houses and to her front door.

She stopped before she reached the steps and walked slowly up them, pausing outside of her front door trying to catch her breath. It was still early, barely past 6:00am and the last thing she wanted to do was wake her uncle on a day like today.

When she had caught her breath enough and no longer sounded like an airplane getting ready to take off, she unlocked her door and stepped inside, setting her keys on the entryway bench. She quietly crept up the stairs, being sure to jump over the fifth step as it was squeaky and made her way into the bathroom to shower.

By the time she had gotten out, refreshed and more awake, she smelled coffee coming from downstairs. It was still a bit too early for her uncle to be up, so she figured he must have heard her.

"You're up early," she said when she entered the kitchen and saw her uncle's back as he was cooking breakfast, bacon and eggs by the smell of it.

He looked back at her and smiled, although his smiled seemed a bit grimmer than normal.

"So are you… couldn't sleep?" he asked, pouring a cup of coffee, adding plenty of vanilla creamer and handing it to her.

She shrugged "I decided to go for a run."

He nodded "I heard you leave, normally I would have stopped you, but I figured it would probably help," he said with a small smile. He knew her well.

She took a lingering sip of her coffee, inhaling the vanilla scent. "what's the plan for today?" She asked, although she knew the answer. No matter how many times they tried to change it, they always did the same thing every Halloween.

"Do you want to go out with your friends tonight?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.

She shook her head "Can we just…" she trailed off, not knowing what she really wanted to do. Wallow? Or distract?

He nodded "I've already called the two of us in for school today for a personal day… What do you say we stop at Letha's Diner for breakfast then drive up to Newport and distract ourselves for a bit, then spend the rest of the night watching movies and eating ice cream?" he suggested, a smile playing at his lips.

She smiled back at him. They did every year. Sometimes they would decide they wanted to take their minds off of the horrors that happened nine years ago, the loss the two of them faced, so they would squeeze everything into this day. But by mid-afternoon they would become overwhelmed and exhausted so they would go back home and mourn.

"Can we go to the aquarium?" she asked

"Of course… what would a trip to Newport be without the aquarium?"

She's always loved animals. She could remember being a little girl and being obsessed with all creatures, magical and non-magical. Since moving to Florence, her love for creatures had only grown. Any chance she got she loved going to the aquarium, or the zoo in Portland, even though it was a bit too far away. She had brought a stray dog home once, after it had gotten hit by a car and her uncle let her keep him. Sometimes she even found that she could connect to animals better than humans. It wasn't that she was bad with people, she just preferred animals. They were always more reliable, less complicated.

"Why don't you go put on something warm before we go," he said staring at his black coffee, running his hand through his light brown hair that had some strands that were graying prematurely.

"Kassie?" He asked as she was leaving the room. Kassie turned and looked at him, noticing the concern in his eyes. "Did you sleep alright?"

She knew it wasn't as simple of a question as it sounded. He knew her better than anyone. He knew the nightmares that plagued her, the nightmares that always got worse at this time of the year. He was there when everything happened. He saw and lived the horrors in her past. He was with her every step of the way.

She smiled sadly "I slept fine Uncle Moony honest… there were no nightmares, it was just a bit restless."

* * *

Remus nodded and gave his niece a quick kiss on the forehead before watching her run up the stairs to change.

Remus put on his own jacket and sat down at the kitchen table, finishing his own cup of coffee. He got lost in thought thinking about how much had changed over the years. It was nine years ago tomorrow that he had found word in the Daily Prophet saying that Kassie, James, and Lily had been killed by Voldemort on Halloween and that Harry had survived. He had been broken over everything that happened, as had his wife Natalie. He then realized that it must have been Sirius who betrayed them as he was their secret keeper and a couple of days later Remus made his way to the ministry to try and gain custody of baby Harry. He knew the only family he had left was Lily's sister Petunia, who hated Lily and there was no way he was going to let Harry live with a woman like that. He was even prepared to kidnap his little nephew. When he got home from the ministry it was to find his wife gone, his home destroyed, and Death Eaters waiting for him.

He fought, he really did, but there were too many of them. Of course, now he was grateful that he was taken. When he was thrown into the cold dungeons of Lestrange Manor, he found that Kassie wasn't quite as dead as everyone believed. She was actually fairly healthy, if not banged up and terrified.

They were there for three years. Three long years before there was an explosion and they managed to escape. They had tried going back to England, going back to Harry. Remus caught word that Sirius was in fact, innocent and was raising his godson. Remus and Kassie were still in danger, so knowing that Harry was safe they did the only thing they could at the time, they fled. They landed in Florence in 1986, four years ago, and had found a safe haven there.

Although Remus missed his life, missed his friends, he never regretted being here with Kassie. He had promised James and Lily that he would protect her and so he was. Someday they would go back to England and find Sirius and Harry. Someday they would rejoin the wizarding world and discover what they had missed in the last nine years, but for now, they were recovering. It wasn't a quick process, but the two of them were definitely making progress.

"Uncle Moony? You ready?"

Remus was brought out of his thinking by his niece who had sat in the empty chair beside him, looking at him with concern.

"Yeah, I'm ready," he said with a small, genuine smile.

Kassie smiled back and Remus was taken back by how much she looked like her mother when she smiled. Kassie's hair was darker than her mum's had been. Lily's had been a vibrant red, while Kassie's was more auburn, ranging on the brown side of the spectrum. Her eyes were just as green as her mothers, she was skinnier and shorter than Lily had been, but Remus chalked that up to the poor treatment she received as a little girl. She had the same freckles that danced across her nose and the same straight teeth.

Often whenever Kassie would smile he would be reminded of James, because of the mischievous or smirk in her eyes. But he loved times like this when her smile was entirely her mothers.

The two of them left, jumping into the car and headed towards the small diner, Letha's Diner. They had discovered this place on the day that they moved to Florence and had fallen in love with it instantly. It was actually a large part of the reason that they decided to move here permanently in the first place. Everyone was so friendly, but not to the point of wanting to know everything about you.

They took their usual seats next to the window and casually flipped through the menu, although they both knew what they wanted.

"How are two of my favorite customers?" came the joyful voice of Olly. He was an older man, in his mid-sixties, who had short white hair and a round belly. He was usually the person in town who would dress up like Santa Clause at Christmas time.

"We're good, how's business Olly?" Remus asked politely, his British accent so much more noticeable when talking to an American.

"Business is as good as usual," he said cheerfully. "Are you both getting ready to head to school.

Remus glanced at his watch, realizing that it was only 7:30am, meaning they'd still have time to make it to school if they had wanted.

"No, not today. We're going to head up to Newport for the day," he responded.

Olly just nodded his head, a thoughtful look on his face. "Is it getting to be that time of year again?" he asked, almost hesitant.

Remus looked at him, slightly surprised. Of course, they had never gone to school or work on Halloween, but they had only been here for four years, it didn't seem like enough time for anyone to really notice.

Olly just chuckled sadly, "I'm sure most people haven't noticed, but I know you two well enough to notice that your mood changes around this time of year. Last year I gathered that it always happened on Halloween," He said softly.

Remus just nodded, unsure of what to say.

"My parents died, nine years ago today," Kassie said steadily. She had always liked Olly, and besides, everyone knew that her parents were dead and she was being raised by her uncle. It wouldn't hurt for them to know the day that they died.

"I'm sorry," he said honestly. "It's never easy, no matter how much time passes… It seems that the more sudden it was the harder it gets," he finished, seemingly lost in thought.

Kassie smiled and patted his arm. He had lost a son to cancer when his son was only twelve, he definitely was a person who knew what grief was.

"Never mind me dear, I'll go get you your breakfasts. Do you want the usual?" he asked, his cheerful demeanor returning.

Both Kassie and Remus smiled and nodded.

"So what should we start with at the aquarium?" Remus asked, a small smirk forming on his face. Kassie knew the aquarium forward and backward.

She rolled her eyes but was saved from responding when the door clanged open and three people walked in that she recognized.

She gasped quietly and lifted up the menu so that she was hiding behind it.

Remus looked over his shoulder and made eye contact with three of Kassie's friends. Three people who he knew Kassie wouldn't want to see on a day like today, knowing that they would question her endlessly.

"Mr. Black!" Zach called, bounding over to him, followed closely by Jon and Lucy.

"Hello Zachary," he said with a tense smile, glancing briefly at his niece who was still attempting to hide behind the menu.

Zach noticed and peeked his head behind the menu, looking at it.

"What's so interesting?" He asked quietly.

Kassie put on the most innocent face she could muster and laid down the menu, sitting up a little straighter.

"I was just trying to see how close up I could read," She answered simply.

Zach snorted disbelievingly while Lucy rolled her eyes. Jon just looked at her sadly.

"Why don't we go sit over there?" said Jon, pointing to the other side of the room, much to Kassie's pleasure.

Zach looked at his friend like he was crazy, "or we could just sit with them," he said.

"We were going to call you this morning to see if you wanted to come with us to get breakfast, but Jon here," she said slapping her boyfriend playfully, "Said that we should let you sleep in today… but you're here anyways!"

Kassie just nodded. She loved her friends, she really did. Zach was always fun to be around, he was outgoing and loud and definitely helped her step out of her comfort zone. Lucy was preppy and upbeat, she was always up for gossip and getting them out of trouble. Jon however was different. He was her best friend and had been since the day she met him. He was a fellow wizard and was the only person in this entire town who knew her history. Not because he read about it, but because Kassie trusted him enough to tell him about it. He was the only one who knew her and Remus' real last names. Which was why he was currently trying to let her have this time with her uncle instead of barging in. He knew what this day meant to them.

"Alright," Jon said, throwing his arm around Lucy's shoulders and guiding her away. "We're going to go sit over there and we will see you later," he said quickly, pulling his girlfriend and best friend towards the booth on the other side of the room.

When they were out of hearing distance, Remus said, "they would understand if you told them what this day means to you."

Kassie nodded "Jon knows, obviously… I don't know, I just can't get myself to tell Zach and Lucy, I trust them and all, they just wouldn't understand," she said unsurely.

Remus simply nodded, knowing it was Kassie's decision. It was then that their food arrived and the two of them spent the next half hour talking casually about school and friends. Kassie was in her Sophomore year at Siuslaw High School, the same place that Remus was a history teacher. They always had great discussions about school, mainly because Kassie could give him insight to the students and Remus could give her insight to the teachers.

When they finished their meal, it was to find it paid for already. They thanked Olly and made their way out of the diner, heading towards their car. Before Kassie could get in she was turned around and found herself in a tight embrace. She recognized the scent of Jon and she gripped him tightly back, thankful for the support. No words were necessary for him to show her he cared, and that he was there for her.

When they pulled apart Kassie smiled at him sadly.

"See you tomorrow?" he said with a kind smile.

She nodded "Thanks, let me know what I miss."

"Will do," he said, watching her climb into the car.

Remus and Kassie waved goodbye at him and made their way down the road, heading towards Newport.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Not all Pranks Are Harmless

Everything had started out harmlessly enough. Years ago, that is. Kassie was 11 when she met Mr. Murga, her science teacher. He was one of the first adults since the ordeal that made her smile, next to her Uncle of course. He was one of the first adults that she met that made her believe maybe not every adult was evil.

This was why it felt like her throat had fallen into her stomach and her breathing was getting tighter and harder. She had lost everything, she couldn't have lost him too.

She could still remember her first encounter with him.

 _Nerves wracked her body as she held tightly to her Uncle Moony. They had never been apart and now they would be apart for nearly an entire day, well a school day anyways. Her red hair fell in curls to the middle of her back and she was dressed in her green dress, one that Remus said was similar to one her mother had. She had never been to a real school and the thought terrified her._

 _They sat in the hard-wooden seats in front of the administration office. Kassie wondered if this was anything of what Hogwarts would've been like. She shook the feeling knowing full well that this school was nothing like Hogwarts, for one there was no magic allowed. She sat for what felt like hours before the two of them were called into on office and they sat once more across from a man who said he was the 'principal.' He hardly acknowledged Kassie at all which she was fine with her. She'd rather sit still and say nothing, just like she was taught._

 _"Miss Black," the words brought her out of her thoughts. Not because it was her name, but rather because she thought of her other uncle. The one who actually held that last name._

 _"Are you listening?" the principal had said the words sternly, but gently._

 _Kassie couldn't admit that she hadn't been listening, so she simply nodded._

 _When she and Remus were outside of the office, Remus knelt down to her level and whispered "you have English first period and there's a young boy who's going to show you how to get there."_

 _Kassie smiled softly and nodded. She wasn't sure how he was always able to tell when she was being truthful and what she was thinking._

 _Kassie turned to see the boy who the principal was speaking with. He was small, skinny, and had sandy brown hair that covered his eyes. When he made eye contact with Kassie he smiled and offered his hand. "I'm Jon," he said loudly. Kassie took a step back at the introduction, startled by the boisterous tone._

 _The kid let his hand drop when Kassie didn't take it and his smile turned into a frown. "Well I'll just show you to class I guess," he said with a frown._

 _Kassie could feel Remus's grip tighten on her shoulder and she looked up at him to see tentativeness in his face. It seemed he wasn't entirely comfortable about letting her leave either. Kassie's frown softened and she grabbed her Uncle's hand. They had to do this eventually._

 _He smiled down at her "I'll see you at 2:30," he said softly before kissing her on the forehead._

 _Kassie nodded and looked back at the boy who was looking at the two of them as though they had grown multiple heads._

 _"Well?" he asked impatiently, beginning to walk in the opposite direction "Are you coming or what?"_

 _Kassie waved goodbye to Remus as she ran off down the hallway after the boy._

 _They walked in silence, Kassie was trying to hold back the tears. She couldn't get herself to speak. She didn't know what to say to him or how to make things better._

 _"what's wrong with you?" Jon asked derisively. "Are you mute or something?"_

 _Kassie shook her head but continued to remain silent until they reached the classroom. When they opened the door, a man with white hair, glasses, and a toothy grin smiled and pulled Kassie up to the front of the class while instructing Jon to sit down._

 _"I'm Mr. Segal," he said rocking back and forth from his toes to his heels. "Do your best not to confuse me with the bird on the beach," he said. Kassie frowned and looked around the class to see several people rolling their eyes as though they had heard the joke a million times. "class, I'd like to introduce you to Miss Kassandra Black, please try to be welcoming," he finished as he gestured for Kassie to take the open seat in the front of the class._

 _Kassie gave a small smile to the class. There were nearly 20 children in the class, most of whom gave her bored looks or small smiles. She took her seat and placed her bag on the floor and did her best to pay attention to her teacher. It became evident within the first fifteen minutes of class that her teacher was a bit crazy, speaking of how every human is made up of star dust. Kassie smiled at the irony of the thought. If the muggles realized she thought the teacher was crazy when she herself believed in werewolves, goblins, and witches. They'd think she was as crazy as him. It made her think maybe he wasn't so crazy after all._

 _When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Kassie grabbed her backpack and followed the other students to their next class, Science. The teacher had introduced himself as 'Mr. Murga' and told them to pull out their books. When Kassie went to open her back pack, she found the zipper stuck together with a small black tie that was too tight to remove. She sighed in frustration and glanced around the room to find Jon laughing with several other boys and looking at her. She shook her head and looked back at her desk. She didn't want to be there. She thought that at least if she had gone to a magical school she could have fought back._

 _"Here," the voice came from her side and she turned to find a girl with straight blonde hair sitting in the desk beside her handing her a pair of scissors. Kassie took them and offered her a smile, which she returned. She clipped her bag free and pulled out her book._

 _She glanced back at Jon who still wore a smirk on his face and she glared at him._

 _"Mr. Smith," Mr. Murga said, Jon looked startled and turned toward the front of the class. "Why don't you come up here and write on the board the different steps of the scientific method," he said. Kassie could see the knowing look in his eye that said he knew more than he was letting on._

 _Jon stood up without question and walked to the board. Kassie glanced at her classmates, several of whom were snickering at Jon being singled out while the others were just watching. She looked at the chalk on the board and a small smile came to her face. 'lutum' she whispered behind her hand, focusing on the chalk. It was a spell she had used frequently over the last few years._

 _When Jon went to write on the board, he found that he was unable to as the chalk didn't work properly. He grabbed the other pieces of chalk and attempted to write with them, but to no avail. Mr. Murga grabbed the chalk to write and after a quick whisper from Kassie he found he was able to write just fine. When Jon grabbed the chalk again, it didn't work, causing laughter to ripple throughout the class and Jon's face to redden with embarrassment._

 _"Why don't you return to your seat," Mr. Murga said with a small chuckle at the student's misfortune._

 _Jon turned and headed back to his seat, glaring at Kassie as he passed. It was obvious that he knew she had done something, although he couldn't prove it._

 _The next day had pushed Kassie over the edge. Jon who was determined to get back at her for the chalk incident had found a way to die the ends of her hair black. In retaliation Kassie loosened the bolts on Jon's chair, which, much to her horror, wasn't Jon's chair at all, but rather Mr. Murga's. Mr. Murga had flown backwards and landed hard on his back. The class laughed rambunctiously and Kassie turned vibrant red with fear settling in her gut, afraid of her punishment. However, unlike any other teacher, Mr. Murga didn't punish her. Instead, while still lying on the floor, he laughed. He pulled himself off the floor and patted Kassie on the shoulder._

 _"Well done Miss Black, although I will probably have to get you back for that one," he said with a kind smile._

 _Kassie smiled back at her teacher, a true smile that he had taken everything so well. "bring it on Mr. Murga," she said with her thick British accent. Her classmates looked at her surprised for they were the first words any of them had heard her speak._

A lot had changed since her first days of school. She and Jon had become friends after a boy a few years older began picking on Kassie. Jon felt that it was only _his_ right to pick on the young British girl and it resulted in Jon's first fist fight. The two of them had stopped pranking each other and instead gained up on their favorite teacher and their least favorite students.

Pranks had also grown and developed. They went from being simple annoying pranks such as dyed hair and chalk that wouldn't write to more serious pranks such as faux detentions from Murga and fake police raids from Jon and Kassie.

It was because of this that Kassie sat rooted to her desk, tears streaming down her face. The teacher that stood in front of her Sophomore Chemistry class wasn't Mr. Murga, but a man named Thorton.

"I'll be teaching your Chemistry class for the remainder of the year. I'm very sorry about your teacher, Mr. Murga, other's have had nothing but good things to say about him," Mr. Thorton said after announcing that Murga had been murdered. "Now my class will be different than his. There will be absolutely no electronic devices in this class, if I see any sort of cassette player I will destroy it. Any late assignments will not be graded, you will simply receive a zero. There will be absolutely no talking unless you are called on. There will be no bathroom passes, if you need to use the restroom you must go in the ten minutes between classes –"

"Who the hell are you?"

The rest of Thorton's sentence was cut off by the entrance of Mr. Murga from the back of the classroom. The small class burst out laughing, by now being used to his jokes and realizing that he set it up. Kassie however wiped her face and frowned, looking down at her desk. She could slowly feel the walls that she had worked so hard breaking down starting to build back up at the thought of losing someone else she loved, someone she considered family.

Kassie sat in a numb silence throughout the class, her anger building at the prank of her teacher. She hated the thought of death. It brought back so many heart wrenching memories. The numbers of people who were killed in front of her, killed _because_ of her. The loss of her parents. At the thought of death, she was a small little girl stuck back in that prison cell at Lestrange Manor. She was alone doing her best to survive. As she sat there, she felt it. That weird burning coursing through her veins, except this time it was stronger.

"Kassie calm down," Jon's voice came from her side with a hint of panic.

Kassie glared at her friend and Jon's eyes widened in surprise.

"Cover your face," he said quickly, causing Kassie to realize her eyes were glowing the same way they always did when she was emotional and angry.

She looked back down at her desk, taking deep breaths, trying to get herself to calm down. She was relieved when the bell finally rang and the class filed out of the room until it was only her and Jon left with Mr. Murga.

Kassie grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulder. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" she asked as she approached her teacher's desk, her accent that had become Americanized over the last four years coming out stronger than ever.

"Kassie –" Murga began, but was cut off.

"Do you think death is funny? Did you think acting like you had been murdered is funny?" she shouted. "People die Murga, for real. People die every day. Some people die horrible deaths and you're mocking it?"

Anger was rippling off of her in waves, but Kassie didn't care. The glass window in the classroom shattered as papers that had been handed in at the end of class began flying off Murga's desk. He stepped back in surprise, his eyes wide.

"Kassie please calm down," Jon said as he grabbed her arm. He couldn't hold her for long because he fell to the ground yelping in pain.

Kassie turned to her friend, her eyes wide as she realized she had sent a shock wave through his body. Mr. Murga dropped to the ground beside Jon who was groaning in pain. Kassie started reaching for Jon but was stopped when Murga shouted "don't!".

Someone put their hand on Kassie's shoulder and she could feel herself calming, simply by his presence. "Kassie…. Cub… take a few deep breaths." She did as he said and could feel herself start to calm. She was relieved as Murga helped Jon into a chair.

"I'm fine," Jon said quietly offering Kassie a small smile.

Remus's hand brushed across Kassie's face and she realized she had started crying.

Jon stood up and gave Kassie a hug, holding her tightly. "It's alright."

They watched as Mr. Murga sat down behind is desk and looked at them contemplatively.

"You're a wizard," Remus said to Murga without question.

Murga nodded "you are as well I suppose. How'd you know?"

Remus nodded "you weren't surprised that magic existed, simply that that much magic came from a fifteen-year-old girl."

Murga gave a small chuckle before turning serious. "I'm sorry Kassie, I had no idea how much the prank would upset you," he said and Kassie could see the honestly in his eyes.

Remus frowned "what prank?"

Murga shook his head "I brought in a new teacher and made the class believe that I had been killed," he said guiltily.

Remus's frown deepened. "Well that was a bit cruel," he said coldly, causing both Kassie and Jon to look at him in surprise. Remus got along well with everyone, but he and Murga had been friends for the last two years.

"I know… I didn't realize you had personal experience with it Kassie, I really am sorry."

"You didn't realize she had personal experience, yet you know she's being raised by her uncle?" Remus asked. He sighed and turned to his niece and her friend. "You two should get to class… Jon you should be fine, but if there's any left-over pain I have something you can take at home… and Kassie if you start losing control again, just walk straight home."

The two of them nodded and grabbed their bags before leaving the room. They looked at each other briefly before kneeling on the ground and pressing their ears against the door to better hear the conversation.

"Did you have any idea that Kassie was a witch?" Remus asked Murga.

"none, not until today anyways…" there was a pause in the conversation and Kassie assumed that Remus must have nodded. "I don't mean to be blunt, but is she an obscurus?"

Kassie looked at Jon, her eyes widening in surprise. She had read about obscurus's before, but they were always caused by repressed magic in young children. She couldn't remember a time when her magic was repressed, even at Lestrange Manor she was encouraged to use it.

"No," Remus replied quickly. "She's always been incredibly powerful... Ever since she was little she had an extraordinary amount of control over her wandless magic, something that makes her a target."

The room went silent and Kassie could feel herself growing nervous. She remembered when Jon found out she was a witch and when Erin, Jon's mother, found out. Remus had a serious conversation with them as well, even threatened to perform a memory charm on them.

"Did you flee from something?" Murga asked. "That would explain why she has experience with death and why the two of you are so reserved," he said and Kassie could practically see the smug expression on Murga's face at having figured out some big secret.

Remus sighed "yes, she was young when her parents were murdered and we've been on the run ever since… You can't tell anyone that you know her or even of a young witch in this town," he said and Kassie could hear the threat behind his words.

"I won't," Murga said honestly. "Remus, I don't mean to sound callous, but my family knew of the Blacks in England and well they weren't a very good family during the war against Grindelwald."

There was another pause, both Kassie and Jon were craning their necks to hear.

"Black is a very common muggle name," Remus said, implying that it wasn't truly their name. The two heard footsteps on the other side of the door before they stood and bolted towards their next class.

The conversation had been simple enough, but Kassie found herself hoping that Murga would keep her secret, she didn't want to leave again, not when she had found a new home.

* * *

They met every Wednesday night. It had become a tradition over the last three years. About a year after moving to Florence, Kassie thought it was the right time to try and set up Remus, help him move on from Natalie and give him someone to hang out with when Kassie was gone. It was then that Kassie remembered Jon's mom was single and she concocted a plan with Jon's younger sister to set them up.

It was unfortunate that no romantic relationship had developed. The two of them were far too different in personality, but a friendship had formed and in the end Remus did have someone else to be around when Kassie was gone, which was her goal in the first place.

They started meeting every Wednesday night for dinner and games, as they got to know each other the two small families got closer and began thinking of each other as family. When it came out that they were all magical, Remus and Erin decided to combine trainings, given that they were each talented in various areas. Soon Wednesdays went from dinner and muggle games, to dinner and wizard games. Sometimes they'd play quidditch, sometimes they'd have potion competitions, sometimes they'd duel. The purpose that Erin and Remus always talked about, was to get the three kids to practice magic and learn it in a fun way, rather than in the boring way that would happen every other night of the week and on weekends.

Tonight was different, it wasn't the small group of 5, but rather a small group of 6 as Remus thought it was a good idea to invite Mr. Murga. It was innocent enough, at least it seemed innocent enough. Now that they knew he was a part of the wizarding community, they may as well invite them to join in the festivities. Maybe then they'd be closer to an actual game of quidditch. Kassie knew that wasn't the real reason though, the real reason for them joining in their Wednesday night was so that Remus could get a better read on Murga and ensure that they were safe in the small town of Florence. If there was one thing they learned throughout the years, it was that you should keep your secrets close and those who know your secrets even closer.

It was awkward at first, as much as they loved Mr. Murga, they couldn't help feeling odd about talking about magic in front of him.

"Are you both getting ready to take your OWLs?" Murga asked.

"We take them at the end of the year," Jon said with a small smile before shoving a large forkful of spaghetti into his mouth.

"Are you getting nervous?"

"Not particularly," Kassie said with a small glance at her friend who was now absorbed in his meal.

Murga raised his eyebrows in surprise and Kassie knew why, while they were both good students, neither of them were A students in their muggle courses, especially science.

Kassie rolled her eyes "we may not be good with muggle stuff, but that's because we're magical and would rather be spending our time practicing magic or studying magic… we're quite adept in our wizarding courses" She said with a bite in her tone, still bitter about the prank that he played on them.

"may I be excused?" Kassie asked Remus, not giving Murga time to respond. Remus gave her a sad smile, but nodded.

Kassie pushed her chair back and left the room, taking the steps two at a time up through her room and to the bathroom. She stood at the sink staring at her reflection. Her green eyes were duller than normal, her red hair messier than normal. She had been struggling recently, which she knew was ridiculous. He had played a prank on them, a prank that most of the class had found funny. It's what they did, play pranks on each other. It's what got her to open up here in Florence and helped her grow close to Jon. And it wasn't really Murga's fault, he didn't know her past and her fears. Jon never would have played a prank like that, but he knew that Kassie had nightmares involving him being brutally murdered by men in black cloaks. He knew that Kassie was afraid they were going to find her after years of searching. He knew that she spent three years living in Hell and two years running for her life. Murga didn't know any of that, so why would he have thought differently about pulling that prank?

Kassie took a deep breath and sighed, she needed to give him another chance, maybe tell him more so that he would understand. She threw water in her face before leaving the bathroom. As she entered her room she couldn't help the snort that escaped her lips. Jon was lying on her bed with her dog lying on top of his stomach. Both Jon and the dog, Bumper, looked at Kassie as she entered the room, but neither of them made an attempt to move or get up.

Kassie sat on her bed and reached out to pet Bumper, who tilted his head towards the touch. He was truly the laziest dog Kassie had ever seen. All he did was eat and sleep.

"They want us to duel," Jon said with a smirk. "Murga gives dueling lessons and says that's what he wants to see if he can help us with."

Kassie snorted "is he any good at astronomy? Or ancient runes? That's really what we need help with," she said.

Jon simply shrugged. He made to sit up, but was unable to because of the 65-pound lab laying across his stomach. He started wiggling, trying to dislodge the dog, but there was no success. Kassie watched him struggle for a few moments longer before she laughed and made her way out the bedroom door.

" _Komme_ " she said as she left the room and the dog instantly jumped off the bed and trotted after her. When she started high school she decided to take a Norwegian course and when she got Bumper she decided to train him in that language, falling more and more in love with it.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Bumper jumped on the couch and was instantly asleep. Kassie and Jon made their way into the living room, finding Remus, Murga, and Erin laughing about something, each having their wands in their hands.

"What's so funny?" Kassie asked as she took the spot next to her dog, patting him lazily on his head.

"Remus was just telling us some stories about school," Murga said after catching his breath.

Kassie smirked at her Uncle, knowing full well he had plenty of stories to tell and odds were that he altered them for secrecy reasons and to make himself seem more innocent than he was.

"So tonight we thought we'd do dueling," Remus said before Kassie had the opportunity to interject.

"I heard you were an expert, Mr. Murga," Kassie said innocently, still patting her dog.

Murga looked at her curiously, knowing her well enough to know when she was hiding something. "I don't know that I'm an expert, but I've taught students before," he said simply. I hold a dueling club a few times a month with other wizarding students in the area."

Kassie nodded "Jon first."

Jon glared at Kassie, but stepped up to the middle of the room. Murga reminded him of the proper etiquette in dueling before asking him about his skill level in nonverbal spells and more advanced spellwork. Jon had a good deal of experience from practicing with Kassie and Remus, but he still hadn't managed to get a handle on nonverbal spells.

The duel began simply, each of them throwing minor jinxes, testing each other out. Kassie knew that Jon was far more powerful than he was showing, when she would duel with him, he could definitely make her sweat. They started throwing more powerful jinxes, quicker. If there was anything Jon was good at it was dodging. After a few minutes, Murga got the better of him, causing Jon to lose his wand and land on his rear end.

"That was excellent Jon," Murga began a large smile on his face. "you are definitely advanced for your age, and you are excellent at dodging, but I do see areas for improvement." He finished, helping Jon to his feet.

"Thank you sir," Jon said, stretching and shaking off the after effects of the spell.

"I think the first area we can work on is non verbal spells. Since you have to say out-loud, it gives me an advantage, knowing what's coming, but if you can learn to do them silently then you'll actually be able to hold your own against any opponent, not that you'll ever really have an opponent," Murga said with a small laugh.

Kassie looked at him sharply, noticing Remus do the same. Jon simply grimaced and took a seat on the other side of Bumper.

Kassie stood up and made her way to the center of the room "There's a reason dueling is so important Murga… You mentioned your family was involved in the fight against Grindelwald, don't you think it was good that they knew how to fight?"

Murga looked startled at how up front she was. He had been seeing a lot more of Kassie than he was used to and still cared about her dearly, but it seemed that he always seemed to make things worse with her.

"All I meant was that you both are still young, it's unlikely that you'll be involved in a war like that… What we want to teach you is the best way to duel an opponent cleanly and courteously."

Kassie scoffed "Dueling isn't a game and it isn't courteous. When you're in war it's about saving others and staying alive – "

"There's no war and the odds of you being involved in a war are very slim, you're children, not training to be MACUSA." He cut her off and said bluntly.

Kassie gave him a small smile, which seemed to be more pitying. Kassie could see Remus standing and stepping slightly closer. Kassie wasn't sure if it was to stop her or to back her up.

"let's duel, shall we?" She said "no preparation, just duel."

Murga looked at her hesitantly

"what? I'm a kid, you trust me don't you?" She asked.

"Of course," Murga said, still looking suspicious.

The duel began in a polite way, they held their wands, they bowed, they walked to their starting position. It was something that Kassie knew would never happen in a real duel. They counted to three and Murga was the first to throw a spell.

For the first two minutes, Kassie simply dodged and deflected the curses. Murga stepped it up and began sending spells non-verbally. Kassie still dodged them easily and before long she started fighting back. Throwing simple jinxes, trip jinxes, funny charms. Murga fought a little harder and Kassie had a feeling he was trying to teach her a lesson, maybe that she was a child who knew nothing of real life. She fought back even harder and began sending one stunning spell after another. She couldn't deny that Murga was a decent fighter, he could hold his own.

Kassie started firing spells that seemed to take Murga by surprise. The spells she had learned as a little girl, not necessarily dark spells, but spells that were uncommon among the general population. Murga fought even harder and managed to set Kassie off guard with an 'expelliarmus,' causing Kassie's wand to go flying. Murga took a deep breath and sent her a small smile. Kassie used the moment to catch him off guard and sent him flying backward and into the wall, landing with a thud on the ground. Kassie summoned her wand to her hand, walked over to Murga and held her wand to his neck.

"Never trust a survivor until you know what they did to survive," she said quietly before turning and taking her seat on the couch.

Kassie could feel eyes boring into the side of her head and knew that hat Remus was glaring at her or at least giving her an exasperated look, but Kassie didn't care. Murga may have known people involved in the war, but he had no idea what was truly out there.


End file.
